


dual

by Vienne



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Ensemble Cast, Epic Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Idk what i'm doing, Multi, No beta we die like mne, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Tags May Change, Underage Drinking, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, awkward teenagers, just to clarify the relationship between zuko and suki is PLATONIC, let's be real, minimal romance, my memory of canon is uh shaky at best, no one important dies i don't think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vienne/pseuds/Vienne
Summary: Sure, they’re formidable enough alone, but it really is undeniable just how muchhappenswhen Zuko and Suki are in close proximity. And when they’re not actively trying to kill each other? That's another matter entirely.“Look,” says Suki. “I need to find the Avatar. You don’t want to die. There’s a deal we can make somewhere in that.”
Relationships: Suki & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 350





	1. the beginning: a prologue

**Author's Note:**

> suki and zuko are so fukign funny asdjflkadjld this fic basically writes itself. or at least, i hope it does. i am new to this. hope y'all enjoy!

The day dawns like every other day he and Uncle have spent in the Earth Kingdom. A wash of color, unblemished and clear, tearing through the sky in perfect, bloody wounds. 

The day dawns like every other, but Zuko’s already gone. 

He’s miles away from their makeshift camp when he catches that first glimpse of the fire-red sun. 

It’s as lovely as always, but Zuko still feels sick to his stomach, even as he continues to walk along the road.

He doesn’t know if Uncle will follow him, and in a fit of irrationality, he breaks into a sprint. After a few seconds he slows down again, face burning furiously. Why would running help? Why would running help at all? Zuko can’t outrun Uncle if he’s on an ostrich-horse or— Agni-forbid, he hires Jun again. He prays desperately that no one saw him. 

Even if he amounts to nothing more than another Earth Kingdom traveler right now, the habit of constant embarrassment and shame is hard to shake. 

Azula probably never has to deal with this. 

Anyway, the best he can hope for is that Uncle just doesn’t look too hard for him. In fact, this will probably only benefit Uncle. He knows Uncle cares, a little at least, but he’ll get over it. Everyone does. 

Uncle is now open to opportunity now that Zuko isn’t dragging him down. (Now that Uncle isn’t dragging _Zuko_ down.) Uncle can go home. Uncle can go back to their family. Uncle can talk to all the weird-ass people he just seems to know in peace. Maybe Uncle can start the first imperial tea-shop. 

It’s better this way, he tells himself firmly, even as his insides seem to clench and shudder. It is.

Zuko goes through the barren roads almost numbly, and even if he walks just the tiniest bit slower, it’s not like anyone’s there to see it. 

.oOo.

Suki travels light. 

When she first packed, she’d ended up with 3 overstuffed bags, but in the end she’s given in to practicality. 

All her most personal belongings have been left with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors anyway, a promise that she’ll return. 

Suki carries a single knapsack now, large enough to fit her armor and makeup as well as the threadbare browns and greens of the typical Earth Kingdom traveler. 

She groans under her breath as she trudges through the village she’s arrived. It’s an indulgent, almost whiny sound, and Suki nearly gets annoyed at herself the second it leaves her mouth. 

It’s jarring to walk around bare-faced. Kyoshi Island is home, and she doesn’t have any of her Warriors to keep her company. There’s a persistent itch beneath her genial average traveler persona, and it burns in her fists, her teeth, her calves.

None of that will help her find Aang and the rest of their little crew. (Sokka.)

It’s still surreal that the Avatar is actually _back_ , as a fucking adolescent Air Nomad, somehow, and victory is so much closer than it has ever been in the last hundred years. 

_About time_ , thinks Suki grimly. A smile curls on her unpainted lips, and continuing her journey seems a little less unbearable. 

.oOo.

Every Earth Kingdom village is the same. The monotony of it is both a blessing and a curse, even if it does feel a bit more like the latter. 

Brown houses. Green clothes. Weary faces.

It’s so unlike the Fire Nation in its overall demeanour - but then, how much of the Fire Nation has Zuko ever seen? Beyond the palace, the surrounding cities, and Ember Island, and it’s not like the life of a young royal required much traveling. 

It’s unsettling to think that he might have seen more of the Earth Kingdom in two short weeks than he has of the nation he was supposed to rule, his own _home_ , so he abandons that particular line of thought like it’s burned him. 

Fuck, thinking about burns isn’t much better. 

It’s very easy to observe Earth Kingdom villages: brown houses, green clothes. Weary faces. 

A shriek breaks the tedium of his mind. It’s shrill, and it raises in volume until it’s cut off abruptly. Almost as if it was muffled. 

Zuko raises his downturned head slowly, making sure his face is still cast in the shadows from his cloak. 

He doesn’t see many people on the road. Villages are sparsely populated, and not many stay out after sunset. 

It’s a risk, for sure, but the mask on his hip seems to thrum, and, well. It couldn’t hurt just to see what’s going on. 

.oOo.

Of all the things Suki expected to happen, getting mugged in the middle of fucking nowhere wasn’t even on the list. 

She hasn’t even accomplished anything substantial in finding Avatar Aang. All she wanted to do was find an inn, or a stable, or something, so she could get some fucking rest. 

Suki had screamed, just a little, because it was a very unpleasant surprise. Definitely not because she was scared. 

Suki’s contemplating whether she should sacrifice her cover to take down the smarmy little asshole–spirits know she could; she’s the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors–before a figure leaps from the roof. 

An irrational swell of irritation floods her veins. Suki doesn’t need some random person to save her. The gesture is appreciated, but it’s incredibly unnecessary. Her attacker won’t know who she is if she kicks back a little. All it means is that she’s someone who knows her way around a fight. 

The figure draws out a gleaming pair of dual dao just as Suki slams her fist into her attacker’s nose. 

The man yelps and stumbles back. Right into the curved swords of Mysterious Roof Guy. 

In an instant, the dao are around the idiot’s neck. 

“ _Leave_ ,” rasps Mysterious Roof Guy. The mugger does so.

It’s silent.

Somehow, the commotion of the fight wasn’t enough to attract anyone else’s attention, so Suki takes the time to regard her accomplice as she shakes blood and ugh, some mucus, from her knuckles.

They’re almost definitely a male, although the defining feature is probably the mask.

It’s practically vulgar, vivid cobalt paint over coarse, crudely carved wood. _The Blue Spirit_ , thinks Suki.

She doesn’t let her shock show. “Thanks,” Suki says dryly, breaking the silence, “but I had it covered.”

He shifts on his feet uncomfortably. “Sure,” agrees The Blue Spirit neutrally.

“Are you really a spirit?” Suki blurts, unable to contain herself.

That spurs out something resembling a laugh. “Definitely not.”

He slips off the mask, and any goodwill Suki might have had to a fellow warrior turns into ash, just as the buildings of Kyoshi Island crumbled in firebender flames. 

“You!”


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko startles. “Me?”

This isn’t good. Somehow, the girl with the fantastic right hook knows his identity. Zuko’s pretty sure that most of his publicity was centered in the Fire Nation, and furthermore, most knowledge of his existence had been snuffed out after his banishment. 

He really doesn’t want to have those bloody fists turned on him, even if Zuko’s at an advantage with his weapons. 

But wait–that’s not quite true anymore. She’s managed to procure something from her sack after a moment of furious rummaging. Dual fans, the metal of them colored green and gold.

Oh.

Zuko jams the mask back onto his face and starts to back up. It doesn’t help much, considering that he’s in an alley.

He could climb, but Zuko’s seen Kyoshi Warriors throw their fans, and that’s not accounting for the fact that she probably has knives on her as well.

“I’m not here to fight you,” says Zuko.

“Yeah,” says the Kyoshi Warrior, still advancing. “I don’t care.”

Zuko’s back hits the wall. 

There has to be a way out of this. He just needs more time to _think._

.oOo.

So. 

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is the Blue Spirit. 

The Blue Spirit. The infamous _Blue Spirit_ , who broke the Avatar out of a Fire Nation stronghold that was protected by the Yuyan. 

There’s some kind of dissonance in Suki’s mind right now, so she just does what she does best. She instigates a fight. 

“You burned my home down!” accuses Suki, because it seems like a good place to start. With deft fingers, she twirls her fans, the metal flashing in the dim twilight. 

“I’m sorry?” tries Zuko, in a pitiful attempt to apologize. “I told my crew to use their bending as intimidation, but it’s easy to start fires. I. I didn’t mean to.”

Suki snarls. “And that makes it okay? You’re trying to capture the Avatar, everything you’ve done and everything you stand for is _bullshit_ , so-”

The instant ossfies. The fog in her mind disperses to reveal a single, perfect thought. He’s trying to capture the Avatar. 

Zuko scrambles up the walls inelegantly, a large bag clutched in his arms, the mask drawing strange shadows on the walls. 

He’s shoving his dao into the bag when Suki calls after him. “WAIT!”

“Why the fuck should I do that?” His harried body language makes it hard to believe that Suki genuinely thought this guy might be a spirit. What a fucking joke.

With effort, Suki hauls herself onto the roofs. She grabs his arm and _yanks_ , hard enough to force him down with her. 

The mask hides most of his features, but Suki can guess that he’s making a truly awful face at her. 

“Look,” says Suki. “I need to find the Avatar. You don’t want to die. There’s a deal we can make somewhere in that.”

“A deal,” repeats Zuko blankly.

“Yeah,” says Suki. “A deal.”

He sighs. “I don’t see how my death has anything to do with this.”

Suki feels something akin to guilt in her stomach, but she discards the feeling. “There are some pretty huge bounties out for the Blue Spirit,” says Suki, reminding herself he’s the enemy, he doesn’t get pity. “I think some people would be interested to know your identity.”

The Blue Spirit mask stares at her eerily. “That’s not a deal,” says Zuko, voice remarkably even. “That’s blackmail. Sure, I’ll help you find the Avatar.”

“I was expecting as much - wait, _really?_ ”

.oOo.

Zuko’s good eye twitches. “I said yes, didn’t I?”

The Kyoshi Warrior still looks kind of flabbergasted. She rubs her palm against the back of her neck sheepishly. “I didn’t think it would be, um. That easy.”

“Yeah, well,” says Zuko. “It was.”

He doesn’t elaborate beyond that. 

“How do I know you’re not going to flake out on me?” asks the girl, after a few tense moments. She doesn’t make eye contact, just stares intensely at the dark clouds. 

“You don’t,” says Zuko finally, deeply regretting the spark of idiocy that made him take off the mask. “But I really don’t need the prices on my bounties increased. You’ll just have to take my word.”

And that’s that. 

They set out the next day, around noon.

Zuko, having woken up at sunrise, had been milling around the village as naturally as he could. 

The Kyoshi Warrior showed up at the building with a scowl and with what Zuko’s pretty sure Ty Lee would call an ugly aura. 

Zuko would be perfectly fine if this whole business could be a wordless transaction, but alas. 

“Where are we going,” asks the girl flatly. It’s not really a question. 

Zuko stays silent for a moment, hoping against his luck that she’ll just _drop it._

She snaps her fingers. “Hey.”

“Gaoling,” answers Zuko, in a way he hopes will discourage her from more interaction.

“The hell does that have to do with Aang?”

Zuko’s pace slows, speeds up again. “Who?”

She stares. “Do you not know the Avatar’s name?”

Zuko wants to be anywhere but here. “Um, no.”

He walks a little faster, because the Kyoshi Warrior undoubtedly has opinions about this.

“Wow,” says the girl, drawing out the word like she’s got all the time in the world. “Doesn’t ‘know thy enemy’ and all that mean anything to you? It’s crazy that you managed to find him on your own.”

“Shut up!” retorts Zuko, offended. “I think that’s an Earth Kingdom saying, and I doubt he was announcing his _Air Nomad_ name to everyone he met. And it wasn’t just me…”

“Oh, your crew?” asks the girl, seemingly ignoring everything else Zuko said. “Not gonna lie, I’m a little surprised that you even acknowledge that.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” snaps Zuko. 

She smiles, but it’s more like a baring of teeth. 

“Don’t I, Prince Zuko? I know enough. I know you want to find the Avatar so you can probably kill him or torture him for the Fire Nation, and that you don’t care whether you hurt people, and - “

.oOo.

“And?” repeats Zuko aggressively. 

Suki stares at the small cluster of berry bushes. She feels ravenous. “Hey, doesn’t that look edible?”

“What?”

“The berries,” Suki trails off, already walking towards the thicket. She doesn’t look to see if Zuko’s behind her. 

“They look weird,” announces Zuko, as if his opinion on the berries matters at all.

And so what if they’re purple, pulsating, and spiky? Loads of berries look like that. It’s not so strange.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” says Suki, eyes fixed, “but I didn’t leave Kyoshi Island swimming in wealth.”

“I don’t have money either! But couldn’t we just…”

Suki rolls her eyes and plucks a couple berries. “This is the best option, clearly. Just help me gather them.”

To prove her point, Suki chomps down on one. 

Zuko’s eyes widen comically. 

She shrugs. “Tastes pretty good to me.”

.oOo.

It’s definitely not going to be Zuko’s fault when they both drop dead. But, he’s loath to admit, the berries do taste okay. 

.oOo.

Suki watches him as he discreetly lights the fire with the tiniest flame.

His control is impeccable, and it makes the fact that Kyoshi Island burned even more aggravating.

They eat in silence, berries and bread. It’s probably the closest she’ll ever get to civil with him.

“The Blue Spirit,” muses Suki out loud.

Zuko looks up from his hunched position. “Yes?” he asks apprehensively.

“Why did you save Aang from Pohuai Stronghold?”

“That’s not really any of your business,” snipes Zuko. “And as you’ve said, you know enough about me.”

Suki scowls. “I could tell anyone who you are, you know.”

Zuko blinks, and there’s something about his expression that’s insufferably smug. “Why would you?”

“I–“

Every answer Suki has to that question just makes her feel immature and angry. Screw Zuko, and screw this situation. 

“I’m gonna sleep,” says Suki finally. 

He doesn’t even look up from the fire. 

.oOo.

“That’s not fair!” shouts Zuko.

The room is dark. He is thirteen.

“Stop, Zuzu,” says Azula calmly, blue fire spinning around her head in a mad crown. She’s so small.

“Azula?” asks Zuko hoarsely. 

“Stop,” Azula repeats, in exactly the same inflection. Her face is blurry and bright and terrible. 

And then _his father_ is there, and Azula morphs into his mother, holding a knife.

Ozai burns her mercilessly, fire engulfing her whole body until she’s just a screaming skeleton. 

Zuko wants to run, needs to run, but he knows what to do. 

He prostrates himself, and very carefully avoids eye contact. “Father,” says Zuko quietly, and his voice is clear. “I am your loyal son.”

Ozai pulls his face up slowly, stares at the tears in Zuko’s eyes. 

It happens so fast, and in an instant Zuko’s face is _burningburningburning–_

.oOo.

Suki can’t sleep all night.

.oOo.

The sun and Zuko rise together. 

He feels like badgermole-shit, but Zuko really doesn’t want to even attempt sleeping for the next three days. 

The lingering nausea isn’t doing him any favors, either. 

But the sunlight is warm, and Zuko needs to meditate. He lowers himself into a familiar, cross-legged position. Zuko closes his eyes.

.oOo.

The village isn’t particularly remarkable, but it’s got a small inn, and the berries really had not been enough to sate her appetite. 

She’s hungry, cranky, and probably losing muscle mass by the second. 

“I feel sick.” 

Zuko’s whining is getting annoying, too, but after _that_ night, Suki’s the tiniest bit more inclined to be more tolerant.

Not enough to stop her from petty actions like letting the inn door swing onto Zuko. But hey, she’s only human. 

She slumps onto their shared table. The outright hostility between Zuko and Suki is significantly less than it once was, mostly because Suki has no idea what he’s playing at. His motives are inscrutable, and even if Zuko still is an island-burning asshole, he’s evidently more complex than Suki first thought. 

Of course he is, because nothing in Suki’s life is ever simple. 

They eat in silence, or, well. It might be better to say that Suki tries to. 

“Still feeling nauseous,” mutters Zuko under his breath, his mouth still half-full. She can see his chewed up rice in his mouth. _Gross._

Suki’s right eye twitches. “Don’t ruin it.”

He exhales. “Right,” says Zuko. “I’m ready to leave if you are.”

Suki stuffs the rest of her food into her mouth, and then inclines her head towards the door. 

They head out, but then three things occur in rapid succession. 

It goes like this:

  1. A stranger opens the door.



  1. Suki accidentally-on-purpose lets the handle of the door fall onto Zuko again, maybe. It’s not _totally_ on purpose this time, but it pokes his ribs pretty fiercely.



  1. Zuko retches.




	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko and suki make a friend!

Well, thinks Zuko, wiping a bit of vomit from the corner of his mouth, staring in a kind of resigned horror at the man he just hurled over. He was totally right in not trusting those berries. 

The stranger in question seems just as shocked. No one in this situation expected this: not Zuko, not the Kyoshi Warrior, not the stranger, and certainly not the owners of the inn. 

They all consider each other in a silence still enough to hear Zuko’s rapidly quickening breathing. 

The Kyoshi Warrior starts giggling. It breaks the stiffness of the atmosphere, like breaking a dam. 

“I, um. I should get some water.” Zuko leaves the terrible, awkward position as fast as he can. It’s too much. It’s overwhelming. 

She follows him, right on his heels, her snickers muffled and growing more hysterical with every passing second. 

Zuko turns abruptly, and she stumbles into him, her eyes full of mirth. “I can’t believe this,” she informs him. 

“Neither can I,” says Zuko. He leans against the wall, starts to chug from his water flask. The girl mirrors his position, but she pulls up a leg as well. 

A beat. 

Then they both start laughing. “Spirits, what a mess,” breathes Zuko, trying valiantly to resist the hysterical grin that threatens to overtake his face. 

“You’re telling me,” giggles the girl. “But seriously,” her voice drops. “What was that?”  
  
  


.oOo.

Zuko pauses, an indecipherable expression sobering his face. “What do you mean by _that_?” he asks, and suddenly Suki recalls the little fact that _they’re not actually friends_. 

She meets his gaze. “I just meant-”

“I didn’t barf over the guy for fun!” he tells her, offended. “This is your fault!”

“My fault?” asks Suki, any and all companionship abandoned. 

Zuko frowns patronizingly. “The vomit was the same color as those fucking berries.”

Oh. “Why didn’t I throw up?” challenges Suki. 

“I have a delicate stomach,” Zuko tells her in a prim voice. 

“Sure,” says Suki, her mood soured by this whole interaction. “Whatever. Just, we should probably pay that guy back. For his clothes.”

“Do it with your money, then,” snaps Zuko. “Considering that this is your doing, it’s only fair.”

Suki raises her eyebrows. “We’ll split the cost.”

“Fine,” sighs Zuko. _Spirits_ , Suki didn’t know it was possible for a human to be so annoying. Maybe it’s a Fire Nation thing. 

.oOo.

“That’s a lot,” remarks Zuko faintly after hearing the man’s price. 

The stranger shrugs, unconcerned. “The Boulder is fond of soft clothing.”

The Kyoshi Warrior gnaws on her lip. “Would you consider alternative forms of payment?”

“Alternative forms of payment,” repeats The Boulder. Zuko’s still confused over why the man refers to himself as a rock, but with Zuko’s fantastic luck, it figures that The Boulder is fucking nuts.

Zuko nods in agreement, though, because even with funds combined, he and his _traveling companion_ are dirt-poor. As long as no one has to whore themselves out to this guy, it’ll be fine. No sweat. 

The Boulder continues. “The Boulder would accept two days' labor.”

“And this labor would include…what exactly?” Zuko questions. Please don’t say sex, please don’t say sex. 

The Boulder shrugs. “You can assist The Boulder with transportation and such. The Boulder is traveling to Gaoling for the Earth Rumble tournament.”

Gaoling? What a coincidence. 

“I travel by ostrich horse,” adds The Boulder, just to seal the deal. 

Zuko looks at the Kyoshi Warrior, and that one look is enough to confirm their agreement. 

“Sounds good,” says the girl. “You want us to start now or what?”

The Boulder considers them both. Maybe he’s wondering whether they’re capable of whatever ‘transportation and such’ means. Maybe he’s wondering what the hell two clearly unrelated teenagers are doing by themselves. Maybe he’s thinking about the way ostrich-horses run, which is basically what would happen if the concept of ‘running’ meant swift, repeated _stumbles_ instead of swift, repeated steps. 

“Yes,” decides The Boulder. 

Zuko sends the Kyoshi Warrior one last look; this is the last opportunity they’ll have to ditch the guy. It’s not like they need to repay him, even if it’s not really the honorable thing to do. Honestly, it’s–confusing, the strange fluctuations his sense of honor has taken as of late. 

She lifts her shoulder in a half-assed shrug. Well, it’s not like Zuko’s in a position to argue, considering the fact that he’s being blackmailed, and all that. 

.oOo.

Travel by ostrich-horse is far more efficient than the two-day journey Suki has been expecting on foot. 

Zuko ditches her as soon as he can, excusing himself by saying that if she goes by the front, he can guard The Boulder from behind. It would be believable if Suki wasn’t positive that Zuko didn’t give a shit about The Boulder’s safety. 

She can’t really blame him for avoiding her, though. It’s only natural to want distance between yourself and your enemies. 

Suki hesitates at the thought of the word ‘enemies’ because something doesn’t quite fit right, not anymore. They’re certainly not friends, that much is clear, but–she’s pretty sure they could be, in another life. Maybe. Zuko’s surprisingly snarky at times, and it makes her want to banter back. It doesn’t stop her from being suspicious of him and whatever his motives might be. He’s still _dangerous_ , too, with broadswords and bending. It’s just kind of strange to keep hating someone after Suki’s seen them vomit on strangers and whimper in their sleep. 

Everything is happening so fast. It’s been little more than two days since she’s even struck up this deal with him. 

She has time now, though, so Suki lets herself zone out on top of her ostrich horse. 

Her mind spins out in every direction. The longer Suki lets herself think, the more convinced she is that this whole thing is a mistake. 

Suki takes pride in the fact that she’s a relatively rational and level-headed person, mostly–it makes her good in fights and with people. Blackmailing Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation doesn’t seem like one of those stellar decisions. 

First off, there’s the matter of who he is. He’s very obviously Fire Nation, and on the side of the Fire Nation, if his past actions are anything to go by. Namely, his efforts to capture Aang, which would almost definitely result in the murder of a twelve year old. 

That’s bad enough in itself, but Zuko also apparently moonlights as the Blue Spirit. This has the added little benefit of painting a target on his head _by the nation Zuko is supposedly supporting._

His motives are so unclear. Everything he does is colored by the kind of irrationality only possessed by the deeply desperate.

Something doesn’t add up; if Suki exposes him as the Blue Spirit, Zuko could just deny it. He’s the _prince_ of the Fire Nation; they’d definitely take his word over hers. 

None of that will matter, Suki consoles herself, because she can let go of all this as soon as she gets to the Avatar. She’ll contact the rest of her warriors, and they’ll all be able to finally end the war. And if Zuko’s good at anything, besides firebending and wielding dual dao, it’s finding Aang.

.oOo.

The Boulder is–chatty. Almost annoyingly so. 

Zuko kind of wishes he could just do what the Kyoshi Warrior is doing, which is gazing blankly at scenery. 

Meanwhile, Zuko’s been chosen as The Boulder’s conversational partner. This is baffling, mostly because Zuko’s pretty sure that his overall appearance doesn’t exactly scream ‘easy to talk to’. 

The scar is probably a big part of that. 

The Boulder bypasses all of this, and launches straight into speech. 

Fortunately, the man seems content to simply speak aloud. Zuko doesn't need to say anything. He just listens.

The Boulder is, Zuko has learned, a very renowned Earth Rumble competitor. It’s his second year participating after years of classical Earth bending training. He’d nearly made it to the top three last year, and now he’s going to try again.

His priorities are distressingly mundane, and Zuko envies the apparent simplicity of The Boulder’s life. It must be nice, having that kind of self-assuredness.

“I hope you win the tournament,” Zuko tells The Boulder, maybe too sincerely. 

The Boulder startles; it’s the first thing Zuko’s said in hours. But he recovers quickly. “The Boulder appreciates the sentiment! Or should The Boulder say,” he chuckles, “the _sediment_.”

Agni. Of _course_ he makes earth-based puns. 

.oOo.

“Is this all?” asks Suki innocently, suppressing her devious grin.

Both The Boulder and Zuko gape at her, and then the _massive_ wooden truck she’s got hoisted up in her arms. 

The Boulder nods, shock still coloring his face. Honestly, Suki’s kind of miffed because even if they’re surprised that she can lift the trunk worth ease, she would bet good money on the same being true for The Boulder. No one has muscles like that if they don’t use it for _something_.

Maybe Zuko’s the only one of them who can’t lift it up. The thought makes her want to giggle. 

“I’ll just,” Zuko gestures at a small pile of miscellaneous boxes. Overall, it adds up to maybe less than a third of Suki’s load. “Take care of that, I guess.”

The Boulder seems to recover from his shock at seeing a girl pick up the trunk. “Follow The Boulder,” he says portentously, turning around and setting off towards one of Gaoling’s more pricey inns. 

Suki smirks at Zuko, tossing the trunk up in her arms just a little. 

Offended, he opens his mouth to make a retort, then seems to think better of it. “Let’s just go,” he mutters. 

“Let’s,” echoes Suki. 

They follow The Boulder into the inn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a huge thank you to everyone who had responded! this is literally the most self-indulgent thing i've ever written so i wasn't expecting so much lol. as always, i'd love to hear thoughts and feedback <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko and suki try effective communication. it goes okay.

“The Boulder thanks you for your services,” The Boulder tells them both. “He would also like to invite you to the Earth Rumble tomorrow, time permitting.”

The Boulder bows. It’s _way_ too low for a prince, but Zuko doesn’t say shit about that. “It was no trouble,” rasps Zuko instead. 

Beside him, the Kyoshi Warrior is impatient, buzzing. Yeah, Zuko doubts they’ll stick around for the tournament. 

“We’re leaving now,” says the Kyoshi Warrior. “Nice meeting you.”

As farewells go, it’s good enough. Polite and to the point. 

She walks away. Zuko follows. 

The way they communicate is actually really frustrating; one of them makes a decision and then the other has to just go along with it. It’s incredibly inefficient. Zuko is officially frustrated, and it’s only been three _days._

Doesn’t really bode well for the future of the deal they’ve struck up. 

Zuko tunes back in to whatever’s happening. The Kyoshi Warrior is talking to the innkeeper. Are they booking a room?

“Two rooms,” the girl is saying. Okay, so they are doing that. Great. Fun.

The innkeeper snorts. It’s not a very nice sound. “Girlie, I’ll need more than that little pile for two rooms. The economy is bad, you know.”

Zuko can practically hear the Kyoshi Warrior’s teeth grinding. “How about one room?” she asks.

“What,” says Zuko flatly. This is pushing it. Princes don’t - Zuko doesn’t _share rooms with strangers_ , and definitely not with strange girls.

The innkeeper (fuck this guy, honestly) snorts again. “I didn’t realize your companion could speak, girlie.”

“Stop calling me that,” grits out the girl. “My name is Suki, and that’s the name the room’s going to be booked under. Thank you and goodbye.”

She saunters off, and Zuko gets to follow. Again. 

The girl– _Suki_ –turns around. With a simpering smile, she adds, with no good reason. “And my friend here is sick, which is why he's not talking. See his pale complexion?”

She’s addressing the innkeeper, but Zuko’s definitely being targeted here. Of all the people Zuko could’ve been saddled with, he ends up with the most _immature_ , _obnoxious_ person possible. 

.oOo.

“I think we should talk,” says Zuko as soon as they enter their shared room. 

Suki’s lips twitch. “You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”

“What? No! I think we should, y’know,” Zuko flaps an arm at himself, and then at her, waves it back and forth. It’s not the most princely of gestures. 

Suki sits down on the bed. Fuck, there’s only one bed. “I don’t know what that means,” Suki tells him. 

“I’m this close to ditching your ass,” barks Zuko finally. “I mean, blackmail’s whatever. I might be able to just deal with it. I could just try and find the Avatar myself, and I’d _go home_.”

Suki’s hackles raise, but she forces down the irritation. She’s a leader, dammit. “Okay, I understand. But you’ve literally just revealed your intentions to me. I could just stop you anyway.” Suki considers him for a moment. “Man, you must be terrible at Pai Sho.”

Zuko flushes. “I’m pretty sure we would both be fine alone, okay? I’m not seeing the benefits to this arrangement.”

Suki clasps her hands, puts on her most diplomatic face. “Zuko, let me explain-”

“You’ve explained jackshit to me,” interrupts Zuko. “Why are we even booking a room here? I _refuse_ to just let you make every decision. I’m the one who has experience finding the Avatar here!”

Suki flips out her dual fans. “I’m _explaining_ , let me talk-”

“I don’t like being the subject of racist comments either!” Zuko blurts hastily. 

Suki pauses. Puts down her fans. “Are you done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

“Alright,” says Suki. “The thing about your complexion was unwarranted.”

“Extremely unwarranted,” mutters Zuko. 

Suki continues. “And I apologize for that. I’m sorry. And back to the point, I think we should just be honest. Transparency, whatever, it’s worked for me.”

Zuko frowns. “We’re on opposite sides of the war; I _really_ don’t think honesty is going to reduce conflict.”

“And right now we have a common goal,” reasons Suki. “We part ways after that. You can go do your dictatorship thing, I join the war efforts.”

“This sounds like a spectacularly bad idea,” says Zuko doubtfully. “I don’t think I want to be transparent. And I still don’t see how that benefits me.”

“We want the same thing!” says Suki. “If I help you, and if you help me, we get there faster.”

“I could just find the Avatar on my own,” Zuko rebuts. “I _don’t need you_.”

Suki sneers, and she hates how natural cruelty feels on her face. “And that’s why I’m blackmailing you.”

Zuko gives Suki a look. She feels judged, which is objectively ridiculous considering the fact that if anyone’s fundamentally wrong here, it’s Zuko and his imperialist agenda.

“Hey, prince, you were the one who wanted to talk. I’m trying to solve your problem,” responds Suki, crossing her arms. 

“Don’t call me ‘prince’ like that,” Zuko says absently, brows furrowing. “And I know, but…”

Suki exhales. “I’m not asking for some huge heart-to-heart, I’m not asking for your life story. I don’t need to know and frankly, I don’t really care. It’s irrelevant to me. I just don’t want ambushed by your Fire Nation buddies before we find Aang.” 

Zuko closes his eyes, breathes out deeply. Suki’s got a hunch that he probably doesn’t use the pronoun ‘we’ as much as she does. “And after that?” asks Zuko. 

“After that, anything’s fair game,” shrugs Suki. 

Zuko sits down on the bed with her, leans against the rough wooden walls. More casual than Suki’s used to seeing. Still kind of twitchy, though, and he still stays near his weapons. 

“You can’t sell me out,” Zuko says finally. “Maybe - should we set guidelines?”

Guidelines. “Like, rules?” asks Suki. It’s a thought. 

“Yeah,” responds Zuko. “Like, rule one: no betrayals or sabotage.”

“Until we find Aang,” corrects Suki, because it’s an important distinction. 

Zuko nods. “Right, right.”

A beat. “I think that’s the only rule,” Suki says. 

.oOo.

_It is_ the only rule that they need. “How hard can it be?” wonders Zuko out loud. It’s possible that the majority of his panicking has been for naught.

“Temporary allies, then,” Suki concludes. 

Zuko shuts up after that. He’s given her enough information about himself, probably too much. ‘Temporary allies’ is a nice thought, but Zuko has no doubt that if it benefited her to do so, Suki of Kyoshi Island would sell him out in a heartbeat. This might be the easiest way to the Avatar, though, and she’s skilled enough in combat (and _willing_ to fight, unlike Uncle - in all honesty, Zuko kind of doubts if Uncle even wanted him to find the Avatar in the first place). She could make things easier. 

Suki leaves the room after that, citing a need to piss. Zuko doesn’t respond. 

Fucking Earth Kingdom peasants. As much as Zuko wants to believe in an honor inherent in warriors, which she definitely is, time has proven that particular belief to be untrue. Zhao had been strong, for sure, but that didn’t make him honorable. 

If only Zuko could just _go home_ , if Zuko had just been good enough to successfully capture the Avatar the first time around, if he had never spoken in the war chambers, if only, if only. 

It’s painful to think about, but Zuko forces himself to go over every way he’s failed since he first saw that beacon. Sadly, it’s a long list. Zuko’s mistakes are almost innumerable, but he tries to categorize them into ways that make sense. 

By the time Zuko gets to the shitshow at Pohuai Stronghold, it’s been a good twenty minutes. No one needs that long to relieve themselves unless they’re sick. But, wasting time isn’t a ‘rule’ so Zuko doesn’t look for her. It’s getting late, anyways, and it’ll be nice to sleep in a room, with a bed, before the real trekking starts. 

So, Zuko just keeps thinking. His firebending is still shit, as evidenced by the many creative ways that he’s been beaten by the Avatar’s little squad. 

_“Do you think we could’ve been friends?_ ”

Zuko squashes down the myriad of emotions that bubble up when he thinks about the Avatar’s naive hopefulness. It’s not real, Zuko tries to convince himself. The Avatar is craftier than he looks, and it wasn’t a real question. 

His instincts say otherwise, but not trusting his own instincts in stuff like this is another important lesson Zuko’s learned. If he hadn’t trusted his own beliefs, he wouldn’t’ve spoken up, all those years ago for the 41st Division. 

It’s been so long since Zuko’s felt the Fire Nation’s humidity, tasted fire flakes after the ship’s meager supply ran out. Seen his sister. 

All that matters now is the moment when Zuko can finally go home. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> throws this into the void

Forlornly, Suki looks at the lovely little pile of barf on the tree. 

It’s purple. Yeah, those berries were probably not Suki’s brightest idea. 

At any rate, Suki vows never to tell Zuko about this little mishap. He absolutely does not need to know that she was affected, too. 

After a couple more minutes spent dry heaving, Suki judges it safe to leave. 

“What were you doing for so long?” asks Zuko as she returns to their room. 

Right, no one takes longer than five minutes to pee until they’re -  _ sick _ . Well, Suki  _ had _ been sick, but not constipated. She's also resolute in her decision to not elaborate. “Feminine problems,” Suki responds shortly. If there’s one thing Suki knows for sure, it’s that teenage boys never ask anything after that response. 

As expected, Zuko blushes and drops the subject. 

“Alright,” starts Suki. “We should have about an hour or two to go around Gaoling now.”

“It’s late,” Zuko responds. 

Suki tilts her head. “Yeah, and?”

“Nothing,” sighs Zuko. For someone who doesn’t seem to get a lot of sleep, Zuko exudes an air of great disgruntlement. “We can head out now.”

Suki waits, but Zuko just looks at her expectantly. “You don’t have any Avatar-hunting specific tips?” asks Suki. 

Zuko shrugs. “I guess–no. I don’t. I’d normally ask around in popular towns about, like, the Avatar, obviously, but also about Water Tribe teenagers. Or even the bison, because not a lot of people who see giant flying balls of fluff are quick to forget.”

“And weird spirit stuff,” Suki adds, slightly impressed. Zuko’s thought this out more than she originally presumed; a bunch of bizarre shit  _ does _ follow Aang around, and Aang himself also seems eager to seek it out. If Suki’s going by the short time spent with the kid. Guess he really is a little more than just another spirit-damned, bullheaded ashmaker. 

“ _ Hey _ ,” says Zuko hotly. It seems that Suki’s brain-to-mouth filter has failed her again. “I’ve had  _ three years _ to think it all out. Not the stuff about his companions, but. This isn’t a new strategy.”

There’s a lot to unpack there. “What d’you mean, three years?” Suki asks, ignoring the starts of anger in his tone. 

“If we don’t get a lead here, a popular port would be a good place to go, too,” continues Zuko, like he hasn’t heard her, evidently making the wise decision to not throw a tantrum at his blackmailer. 

They’ve both been walking for a while, now, but Suki barely registers the brisk pace and the chill of the air. Zuko’s legs are stupid-long, and Suki’s vaguely upset by the fact that she has to speed up her own body to keep up.

“Are you avoiding the question?” Suki asks. At first, Suki had just thought Zuko had misspoke, or something. That he meant three months, or three weeks, because  _ three years _ – it doesn’t make sense. 

But there’s something damning in the fact that he didn’t answer. 

People have told her in the past that she’s a little tactless, and that’s actually absolutely correct. The thing is, Suki really hates mind games, and even if everyone feels uncomfortable as hell, that’s infinitely preferable to trying to do stuff with unnecessary pretenses. 

.oOo.

Zuko’s pace stutters in rhythm, but it only lasts for a second. “What question?” evades Zuko. Maybe playing dumb will get her off his back.

It’s unsurprising that she doesn’t know about his banishment, but mostly it’s a relief. Zuko doesn’t need everyone he knows to be aware of his embarrassment. 

“Why have you been searching for three years?” questions Suki again. “The most recent Avatar sighting was only a month ago.”

Okay, bluntness is better than Uncle’s inexplicable proverbs, but there are  _ boundaries _ . 

Zuko groans. “It doesn’t matter, okay? Just - drop it.”

“You’re not doing a very good job of convincing me that it’s irrelevant,” responds Suki, unyielding. It’s still a little strange to think of her by her actual name. 

“I don’t want to talk about it sober,” Zuko says finally. In actuality, Zuko’s only ever really  _ indulged _ once on the Wani. Uncle had pestered and pestered him about playing the tsungi horn. Eventually, Lt. Jee had just handed him the bottle and told Zuko to loosen up. Zuko remembers scowling, but still gulping down the sake. The rest of the night blurs in his head mostly. Zuko feels nostalgic, almost, thinking about it. Even though he had spent the next day nursing the  _ worst hangover _ . 

Instead of rebuking Zuko for suggesting alcohol, Suki just arches a brow. Zuko’s kind of envious about how careless the motion comes across; it’s hard to achieve the same level of  _ unimpressed _ with one eyebrow. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” she says.

There’s a thought. Zuko tries to imagine drinking with the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, in some shitty Earth Kingdom pub with cheap rat-piss alcohol, divulging his life story. 

“Stop smiling,” Suki demands. “Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing,” replies Zuko. “I look forward to it.”

.oOo.

The conversation is falling into something that’s a little too close to  _ friendly _ . That’s - yeah, they should probably try and avoid that. 

Grasping for control, Suki reaches back to familiar ground. “Should we split up?” 

Zuko hums. “Gaoling’s not huge,” he says. “We could do either. And besides, all we have to do is just ask around.”

“The objective–” Suki starts. 

“–is to gather information pertaining to the Avatar–” Zuko fills in.

“–and we can do that by getting direct mentions of Aang–”

“–or by getting indirect mentions of Water Tribe teenagers–”

“– _ or _ the bison.”

Zuko pauses. “Do you think they know how obvious the bison is?”

“Spirits, no,” says Suki, still somewhat unsettled from the seemingly telepathic conversation she’s just had with the prince of an imperialist nation. Her mouth’s running on autopilot, now, while her mind trips over their previous interaction. “The bison left a fucking mountain of fur around Kyoshi Island that we  _ literally had to dump in the ocean _ and none of them seemed to realize.”

“Right?” Zuko says in agreement, seemingly unaware of the  _ alarmingly cordial _ and  _ low-key psychic _ interaction from before. “I actually just look for air-bison fur once I get a good idea on their location.”

Yeah, this whole thing definitely ranks pretty high on Suki’s list of surreal events. And Suki remembers walking in the nearly empty streets of Kyoshi after the plague outbreak, coughing with the stench of death and rot.

Something in Suki’s gut tells her it’s all only going downhill from here. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> consider dropping a kudos or a comment if this was something you enjoyed! any and all feedback is appreciated.


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